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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

OSHA Approved Clean up of Contaminated Sharps

OSHA Approved Clean up of Contaminated Sharps

OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration) regulates the proper disposal of contaminated sharp objects.
Bloodborne diseases present on contaminated sharps are a hazard to those that
handle them. Removal of the sharps potentially exposes workers to diseases such
as HPV, HBV and HCV. Although needles are the first item that most people think
of, sharps include scalpels, broken glass, capillary tubes and the exposed ends
of dental wires. If any of these sharp objects have been contaminated by blood
or other human fluids, OSHA requires that the cleanup procedure follow specific
rules.

Due to the length of complexity of the regulations, it
is often a good idea to call a professional clean up company. These companies
know how to handle sharp devices. OSHA requires that mechanical devices or a
one handed "scooping" technique be used for removing sharps from an
area. Professional cleaners may have a mechanical device that can remove the sharp
from the area or they might be trained in the proper "scooping
technique."

Other OSHA regulations prevent sharps handlers from
breaking or shearing sharps. Professional cleaners understand how to avoid
accidentally breaking sharps. Bending, recapping and removing sharps are only
allowable for specific medical and dental procedures. Professional cleaners can
help companies comply with these regulations during clean-up.

Professional clean up companies also provide OSHA
approved containers for storing contaminated sharps. These containers, which
must be bright red in color, are also puncture-proof and leak proof. They must
also be able to close to prevent liquids from spilling out of the container.
Cleaning companies have processes in place to make sure that the containers are
not overfilled. When removing sharps from the storage container, professional
cleaning companies follow strict regulations. Workers are not allowed to stick
their hands into the storage containers to remove any sharps. Professional
clean up companies have processes in place to avoid these scenarios.

Some employers do have processes in place to handle
routine use of sharps. For example, hospitals often have the proper disposal
containers available for needles. Doctors and nurses are trained to properly
dispose sharps into these containers. However, many areas that have been
contaminated by sharps are not part of the routine. Suicides, murders and
drug labs are an example. In these cases, there is typically no one within the
building that is trained to handle any sharps that remain on the scene. In
these cases, it is often a good practice to call a professional clean up
company trained in the OSHA regulated handling of sharps.